System for mounting a drop sensor to a drip chamber

Abstract

The invention is directed to an improved system for mounting a drop sensor onto a drip chamber having laterally projecting wing-like or flange-like extensions. A pair of mounting members, one fixed, one laterally movable, are provided on the drop sensor housing. The mounting members have inclined guiding surfaces which cradle both ends of the lateral extensions on the drip chamber during the initial stages of mounting the drop sensor to the drip chamber and guide drop sensor movement with respect to the drip chamber to its final mounted position thereon. The mounting system is particularly adapted to dedicated IV set and drop sensor combinations.

I claim: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring the flow of parenteral fluid to a patient through a fluid administration set which includes a drip chamber having an elongated, clear plastic body with means to drip parenteral fluid therein and having a pair of opposed lateral extensions at the upper portion thereof, the system comprising: a. a drop sensor having a housing with a first section at one end thereof containing a light source, a second section at the other end thereof containing a light sensor, and a sensor gap provided between the first and the second housing sections which has an optical pathway between the light source and the light sensor and which is adapted to receive the elongated, clear plastic body of the drip chamber;   b. a fixed mounting member on one of said housing sections having one or more vertically inclined guiding surfaces which engage the end of one of the lateral extensions on the drip chamber and slide under the edges of the end of the extension during the mounting of the drop sensor to the drip chamber and having vertically and horizontally oriented means at the end of such guiding surfaces to engage the lateral extension on the drip chamber in contact therewith and position the fixed mounting member with respect thereto;   c. a laterally movable mounting member on the other housing section having means to urge the movable mounting member toward the fixed mounting member, having one or more vertically inclined guiding surfaces divergently oriented to the inclined surfaces of the fixed mounting member which engage the end of the other lateral extension of the drip chamber and which slide under the edges of the lateral extension of the drip chamber when the drop sensor is mounted thereto and having means at the ends of the inclined guiding surfaces to engage the lateral extension on the drip chamber in contact therewith and position the movable mounting member with respect thereto;   d. at least one of the lateral extensions on the upper portion of the drip chamber having a notch or recess on the end thereof;   e. at least one of the vertically inclined guide surfaces comprising a projecting rib which interfits into the notch or recess provided in the lateral extension of the drip chamber; and   f. a positioning surface on the drop sensor housing facing the sensor gap which contacts the elongated, clear plastic body of the drip chamber to ensure that drops of parenteral fluid dripping into the drip chamber intersect an optical pathway through the drip chamber body between the light source and the light sensor of the drop sensor.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mounting members are provided with inclined guiding surfaces which diverge in an upward direction away from the vertical axis of the drip chamber positioned within the sensor gap. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 2 wherein the laterally movable mounting member is provided with at least a pair of inclined surfaces which engage the edge of the end of the lateral extension and which are provided with stopping means at the ends of said inclined surfaces to thereby terminate further relative movement therebetween and position the housing section. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1 wherein the laterally movable mounting member is attached to a sleeve which is slidably mounted to the drop sensor housing. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1 wherein the inclined surface on the fixed mounting member is a conic surface. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 1 wherein the shape of the positioning surface on the drop sensor housing conforms to the shape of the drip chamber body. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 1 wherein the shape of the drip chamber body is cylindrical. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim 2 wherein the distance between the inclined guiding surface or surfaces on the fixed mounting member and the inclined guiding surfaces on the movable mounting member in the latter's most distant position from the former is greater than the distance between the ends of the opposing lateral extensions on the drip chamber to thereby ensure that the inclined surfaces on both mounting members cradle the lateral extensions on the drip chamber during the initial stages of mounting the drop sensor to the drip chamber. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim 1 wherein the positioning surface on the drop sensor adapted to contact the drip chamber body is vertically spaced from the inclined surfaces on the mounting members. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim 1 wherein the horizontal means to engage and position the fixed mounting member is a plateau on the top thereof which contacts the underside of the lateral projection on the drip chamber. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 10 wherein the vertically oriented means to engage and position the fixed mounting means are vertically oriented stopping means at the edge of the plateau to restrict relative horizontal movement between the fixed mounting member and the lateral extension of the drip chamber in contact therewith. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 1 wherein the means on the movable mounting member to engage and fix the position thereof relative to the end of the lateral extension of the drip chamber is an overhang which is adapted to contact the upper surface of the lateral extension. 
     
     
       13. A system for monitoring the flow of fluid to a patient which includes a drip chamber and a drop sensor provided with mating mounting elements to ensure that only matched drip chambers and drop sensors are utilized together, said system comprising: a. the drip chamber having an elongated, clear plastic body and provided with a pair of opposed lateral extensions at the upper portion thereof, at least one of the lateral extensions having one or more notches or recesses at the end thereof; and   b. a drop sensor having a housing with a first section at one end thereof containing a light source, a second section at the other end thereof containing a light sensor, and a sensor gap provided between the first and the second housing sections which has an optical pathway between the light source and the light sensor and which is adapted to receive the elongated, clear plastic body of the drip chamber;   c. a fixed mounting member on one of said housing sections having one or more vertically inclined guiding surfaces which engage the end of one of the lateral extensions on the drip chamber and slide under the edges thereof during the mounting of the drop sensor to the drip chamber and having vertically and horizontally oriented means at the end of such guiding surfaces to engage and position the fixed mounting member with respect to the lateral extension on the drip chamber in contact therewith;   d. the laterally movable mounting member on the other housing section having means to urge the movable mounting member toward the fixed mounting member, having one or more vertically inclined guiding surfaces divergently oriented to the inclined surfaces of the fixed mounting member which engage the end of the other lateral extension of the drip chamber and which slide under the edges of the lateral extension when the drop sensor is mounted to the drip chamber and having means at the ends of the inclined guiding surfaces to engage and fix the position of the movable mounting member with respect to the lateral extension on the drip chamber in contact therewith;   e. at least one of the vertically inclined guide surfaces on the mounting members comprising a projecting rib which interfits a recess provided in the lateral extension; and   f. a positioning surface on the drop sensor housing facing the sensor gap which contacts the elongated, clear plastic body of the drip chamber to ensure that drops of parenteral fluid dripping into the drip chamber intersect the optical pathway through the drip chamber body between the light source and the light sensor of the drop sensor.   
     
     
       14. The system of claim 13 wherein the inclined projecting rib is positioned on the laterally movable mounting member between two inclined guiding surfaces provided thereon. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 14 wherein the laterally movable mounting member is attached to a sleeve which is slidably mounted to the drop sensor housing. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 14 wherein stopping means are provided at the upper end of the inclined rib to terminate further relative vertical movement therebetween. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim 15 wherein the horizontally oriented means to engage and position the fixed mounting member is a plateau on the top thereof which contacts the underside of the lateral projection on the drip chamber and the vertically oriented means to engage and position the fixed member are vertically oriented stopping means at the edge of the plateau to restrict rotational and horizontal movement between the fixed mounting member and the lateral extension in contact therewith. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 17 wherein the stopping means at the upper end of the inclined projecting rib is an overhang which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the lateral projection on the drip chamber and thereby preclude further movement. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 3 wherein the projecting rib is positioned between the pair of inclined surfaces.